BOULEVARD, Calif.

Consumers seeking a low-cost, environmentally friendly mountain retreat may find the vacation cottage of their dreams at Sacred Rocks Reserve and RV Park in the mountains east of San Diego.

The 163-acre resort and wilderness preserve, located at the 3,500-foot level near the oak- and pine-dotted town of Boulevard, is the first RV Park in the nation to offer solar-powered park models, which can be placed on leased sites and used as a weekend retreat or vacation cottage.

Typically upscale in appearance, park models are 400-square foot movable resort cottages with bay windows and lofts that are designed exclusively for part-time recreational use. And because park models are technically classified as recreational vehicles, they can be set up on leased or purchased sites in campgrounds and RV parks and used as weekend retreats or seasonal vacation cottages.

“We think these units will be particularly appealing to consumers who want an affordable, environmentally friendly mountain retreat cottage,” said Sharon Courmousis, owner of Sacred Rocks Reserve, adding that the park is roughly an hour’s drive from San Diego and Imperial County and less than two hours from Yuma, Arizona.

The park models at Sacred Rocks Reserve are manufactured by Phoenix-based Cavco Industries, which has equipped its cabin- and cottage-style park models with solar panels that can save consumers anywhere between 25 and 75 percent on their utility bills. These environmentally friendly cottages, which are can be made using bamboo flooring and other recycled materials, come equipped with tankless water heaters as well as energy efficient light bulbs and kitchen appliances and dual pane windows.

Cavco, the first park model manufacturer in the country to produce solar powered park models, was excited at the opportunity to launch its first models in California. “Sacred Rocks is an ideal pioneer park for us,” said Tim Gage, vice president of Cavco’s Specialty Division. “And because of California’s interest in green technology, it makes the product readily acceptable to the consumer.”

Cavco’s solar powered park models have enough panels to generate most of their own power. They remain on the grid, collecting power on sunny days, sending it into the grid, and generating credits for the consumer.

“The savings can be tremendous because these units are used as weekend or vacation homes,” says Meredith McClintock, CEO of Ready Solar Inc., the Redwood City, Calif. company that provides the solar panels for Cavco’s park models. “The amount of power people use [in their park models] on the weekend is relatively small, compared to the amount of power being collected by the panels collected all week long while they are at their primary residence.”

Courmousis, for her part, said the Cavco units will go a long way toward helping position Sacred Rocks Reserve as one of the greenest RV parks in the country. The first two Cavco solar powered park models were installed at Sacred Rocks last month, she said, adding that the park can accommodate up to 28 units.

“We are thrilled to be one of the leaders in the RV Park industry’s growing green movement,” Courmousis said, adding, “Consumers who purchase these units will obtain a vacation cottage at a fraction of the price of a site built home or condo, while they’re also doing something positive for the environment.” Prices for the solar powered park models offered at Sacred Rocks start at less than $60,000, with annual lease fees averaging $4,800.

“We’ll provide information about how the technology of solar works, as well as the short and long-term benefits to the consumer,” says Ready Solar’s McClintock. After the presentation and tour, wine and cheese will be served, and people will have an opportunity to socialize and ask additional questions. For more information on Sacred Rocks Reserve and RV Park’s installation of the first solar park models or to schedule a private tour, please contact Marti Amado at (760) 877-0619 or visit www.sacredrocksreserve.com.

For more information on Cavco’s park models or its solar energy systems, please contact Tim Gage at (602) 763-5488 or Meredith McClintock at Ready Solar Inc. at (650) 255-1828 and visit their respective websites at www.cavcoparkhomes.com and www.readysolar.com.